Grilled Steak, Baked Potatoes, Glazed Carrots

No real recipes to post here today, as I am not in the mood to do any extensive cooking. I think am a little blah because the long weekend is over, and it is currently 105 degrees here in Phoenix (the forecast actually indicated it would make it to 110 degrees today...no fun). It is way too hot outside to further heat up the house with my oven, so I think we will just resort to other measures of food preparation. I got a smokin' deal on some t-bone steaks left over from our local market's big, 4th of July weekend sale. Since they are already thawed and calling my name, I think I will just have the hubby grill those up for our dinner. I am not even planning on marinating the steaks, either. Just some salt, pepper, and oil; then down on the grill until medium rare. For side items, we are going to have our standard baked potato and glazed carrots. Easy-peasy!

Claire's Pot Roast: A Variation

I needed a day at home this week to get some chores done. It seems we have been going, going, going, all month long; and my house is starting to show signs of neglect. I decided to do an easy, slow-cooker meal so I could focus on getting my house in order and not have to worry about dinner. This dish is always easy, delicious, and comforting. I love the yummy smells that fill the house when a pot roast is cooking away. This dish is a low maintenance masterpiece...perfect for a day of cleaning and organizing.

Claire's Pot Roast: A Variation

This is one of those meals that I imagine when people talk about "home-cooking". It is a traditional stand-by that everyone seems to love. Family food at it's finest!

Veggie Cheeseburgers, Glazed Carrots, and Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I am still not exactly sure what I am doing for dinner. It has been a little bit of a harrowing day, so I am shooting for a uncomplicated meal. I have formulated a rough plan, but I am not 100% certain on exactly how I am going to execute part of it. The Veggie Cheeseburgers and Glazed Carrots are both items that we have had before...so no surprises there. I am trying to decide how I am going to make the Sweet Potato Fries I have in mind. Hmmmm... I think I will just play around with the seasoning and post the final recipe in my "result" post later. So for now, this is just a template for our dinner. I will let you know how it all goes! Here are my previous links:

Jen's Glazed Carrots

Veggie Cheeseburgers on Whole Wheat Buns

Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Adapted from recipezaar.com/recipe #43469

Ingredients:
2-3 large sweet potatoes or yams, cut into fries
1 tablespoon of Chili powder
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of black pepper
2 tablespoons of corn starch
1 teaspoon of cinnoamon
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
2 teaspoons of salt
Canola oil to coat

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Put cut fries into large ziploc bag with oil and spices and shake to coat.
3. Once well coated, open bag and add corn starch. Shake again until all are coated w/ corn starch.
4. Place fries onto baking sheet leaving space between fries; make sure to use baking rack to elevate fries off bottom of baking sheet for crisper results.
5. Put in oven for 10 minutes and then flip them over.
6. Place back in for 10 more minutes.
7. They should be soft on the inside and browned on the outside.
8. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve with Spicy Lime Mayo.

Spicy Lime Mayo
Adapted from recipezaar.com/recipe #120459

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of light mayo
1/4 cup of light sour cream
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1-2 Tablespoons of lime juice
Pinch of salt to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Refridgerate and let flavors combine for at least 1/2 hour before serving.




The Result:
I call this meal "Ode To Orange Food" . Everything on our plate was orange! I don't know...it struck me as funny. This was a yummy and filling meal. As usual, I turned to RecipeZaar for ideas on the Sweet Potato Fries and I was not disappointed. The sweet potato fries were really flavorful, but I need to try and improve on the texture. They were a bit soggy. I think I will amend the recipe to cook them on a wire rack, so they get crisper. Also, I added a bunch of extra spices to make the fries my own. I will edit and post the original recipe to show my version. Other than that, this meal was really tasty and easy. I have a couple of sweet potatoes leftover, so I am going to try the fries again soon. The lime mayo was really delicious, and it paired with the fries perfectly. Both recipes are definite keepers!!!

Jen's Steak Fajitas (Happy Easter!)

Happy Easter, everyone! We have been going non-stop, so the husband and I decided to have a low-key Easter this year. We did an indoor egg hunt with the boy, gave him his Easter basket, and that is about it. We also opted for a decidedly non-traditional Easter dinner, as well. We are going to have my classic steak fajitas, pinto beans, and glazed carrots. Completely no-frills...and that is exactly how we wanted it. I am just thankful I get to relax with my family for this special holiday.

Jen's Steak Fajitas

Steak fajitas are my favorite! I am excited that this dinner will be simple and delicious.

Jen's Glazed Carrots

Here is my Glazed Carrots recipe again. I needed to separate it out from a previous post, so it is easier to link back to in the future. I love these carrots!

Jen's Glazed Carrots

Ingredients:
whole, peeled, fresh carrots: diced into coins (make sure they are all the same size)
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
1 Tablespoon of butter
Steamer basket insert

Directions:
Place an inch to an inch and a half of water into the bottom of a sauce pan. Place steamer basket into water-filled sauce pan. Place raw carrot coins into steamer basket insert with lid partially (cracked) open. Steam raw carrots until soft and tender, generally about 15-20 minutes (maybe a little longer, depending on if you have a lot of carrots to cook). Test for doneness by piercing carrot coins with a fork to see if they are soft/cooked through. Remove carrots to a bowl and toss with sugar, salt, and butter. Serve immediately.

Jen's Falafel Pitas, Homemade Hummus, and Glazed Carrots

I just got back from the grocery store a little while ago, and I am still a little lightheaded from the experience. Let's just say I was very close to a 'mommy meltdown'. My son simply does not behave at the grocery store. I don't know why...that is just how it goes with him. I think the fluorescent lights make him crazy or something! It is just bad no matter how you slice it. I usually skip taking him and go by myself when the husband is home to watch him. That way, I can take my time, look through all my coupons, and price shop. This week, I did not plan very well. I did not go to the store during my normally scheduled time...basically I procrastinated until today. (Yes, I waited until it was absolutely necessary to go, and I had to cart along my naughty almost-three-year old little boy.) Moreover, I had a ton of coupons to use and a bunch of groceries to purchase (which was another draw back to procrastination...I had a big shop to do). Rather than share all the gory details, let me just sum up...it was nightmarish. When I got home, I put everything away as quickly as I could, fed the boy lunch, and put him straight down for a nap. Next time, I will stick with my normal routine and leave him home with Daddy. Lesson learned!

Since I expended all of my sanity and energy at the grocery store, we will be having a simple dinner. Really, I am not in the mood for pouring a whole lot of effort into the family meal tonight. I bought some pre-made Falafel at Costco this past weekend, so I think Falafel Pitas sound really yummy. I think I will make a quick batch of hummus for topping, and then garnish our pitas with some diced onion, lettuce, and tomatoes. All in all, Falafel Pitas are pretty easy to put together. The Falafel's themselves just need a quick reheat in the microwave, since they are all pre-cooked. As a side dish, I will just throw together some steamed, glazed carrots and be done with it. That should be easy enough!!! I am looking forward to a stress-free dinner.

Jen's Falafel Pitas

Ingredients:
pita bread of your choice (I like Naan or a flat-bread pita)
2-3 falafel patties per sandwich (I am using pre-made)
lettuce of your choice (I like romaine or baby spinach)
sliced red onion
sliced tomato
sliced cucumber
Tzatziki sauce or hummus for topping (recipe to follow)
Fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:
Cook Falafel according to package directions. Place in pita with other ingredients of your choice. Eat like a sandwich.


Jen's Homemade Hummus: Plain

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (aka garbanzo
beans)
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt or light sour cream
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1-2 garlic cloves (depending on how sharp and garlicy you like it)
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 cup of feta cheese
2 Tablespoons of tahini

Directions:
In food processor blender, puree all the ingredients with 1-2 tablespoon water. Add more olive oil and salt, if needed.

Jen’s Notes:
This recipe can be easily doubled. All measurements are approximate.

PS--
I don't think I have ever included my glazed carrots recipe on my blog, although I know I have mentioned it many times. This is an easy, foolproof way to cook delicious carrots. Here it is...the quantities will need to be increased if you have a large amount of carrots to cook.

Jen's Glazed Carrots

Ingredients:
whole, peeled, fresh carrots: diced into coins (make sure they are all the same size)
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
1 Tablespoon of butter
Steamer basket insert

Directions:
Place an inch to an inch and a half of water into the bottom of a sauce pan. Place steamer basket into water-filled sauce pan. Place raw carrot coins into steamer basket insert with lid partially (cracked) open. Steam raw carrots until soft and tender, generally about 15-20 minutes (maybe a little longer, depending on if you have a lot of carrots to cook). Test for doneness by piercing carrot coins with a fork to see if they are soft/cooked through. Remove carrots to a bowl and toss with sugar, salt, and butter. Serve immediately.



The Result:
This was super-yummy! It was just what I needed for a no-brainer dinner. Best of all, it was totally vegetarian. I did not realize that until I finished my post yesterday and applied all the tags. I have fallen a bit behind with my vegetarian meals, so it was nice to get one in this week. Actually, in looking at my menu plan, I think I have another one slotted for later this week...so that makes two.

The pitas themselves were so good. I used Naan bread which we just bend into pita sandwiches to eat. My pic shows it open (like a tostada of sorts),but I only photographed it that way so you guys could check out the pita filling itself. A lot of people ask me what Falafel is, so these photos show these little chickpea patties in all their glory! On another note, I love my homemade hummus. If you have a fully stocked spice cabinet, it is very inexpensive to make...and usually tastier than store bought versions. This time, it was a little spicier than I would have liked, since I slipped and sprinkled a little too much cayenne pepper into the mix. My family likes spicy foods, so it was really no big thing. Also, I was experimenting with flavors and added a pinch of ground cinnamon. It sounds strange, but it was really good. Well, I liked it...the husband was not too sure. I just wanted to try something a little different, and I really like cinnamon in savory applications. Overall, this was a totally satisfying and easy meal.

Grilled BBQ Steak, Jen's Potluck Potatoes, and Glazed Carrots

I totally forgot to post today! It just slipped my mind completely! I finally remembered after we were finished eating, so I guess this post is better late than never. Nothing really exciting going on in our house for dinner tonight. We just threw some steaks on the grill, then I made a batch of my potluck potatoes, and some glazed carrots to go on the side. Nothing noteworthy to report, other than I used shredded hash brown potatoes and added a can of cheddar cheese soup...just to see what would happen. The potatoes came out great as usual, just a little cheesier and a little soupier (but not runny). I do hate myself for loving (and using) canned, condensed, 'cheese' or 'cream of' soups...but in my defense, I try to make them a once in a while thing. I understand that they are the nutritional equivalent of junk food (look at the food label sometime and you will see what I am talking about), but there is something so homey about them. Also, they are easy. Sometimes, easy wins at our house. Oh well, I will just continue to live with condensed soup guilt. Here is the link to the potatoes and the photo. Overall, this was an easy and yummy dinner.

Jen's Potluck Potatoes

White Bean, Carrot, and Roasted Garlic Soup

Okay, so I did end up changing my whole blog template. I found a bunch of cute backgrounds, so I may be switching it up from time to time...now that I know there are adorable choices out there! Moving on...

This recipe has been marked to try for about 4 weeks now. I kept pushing it back, since I kept forgetting to soak my dried white beans. Well, I looked at the package last night and realized that the dried white beans expired on 12/04/08! Yikes!!! I need to use those beans! I don't think it will make much difference that they are a little past their expiration date, but I don't want to hang on to them for much longer either. Even though I wanted to use the beans today, I still forgot to soak them. It suddenly occurred to me at about 11:30pm last night. I actually got up from bed and put the beans on to soak. I checked them this morning and they are finally usable. Whew!
This is my first vegetarian offering for this week, and I am excited to try it out. Here is a tangent: I did a short calculation last night and realized that by supplementing three vegetarian meals per week, I am conservatively saving about $6 per week in food costs. I calculated the cost of protein items (i.e. meat) vs. the cost of vegetarian ingredients, and estimated it was about a $2 per meal savings. That means over a whole year I will save an extra $312 per year. I will be rich! Okay...not really...but I thought that that was an interesting way to save money.

This recipe is the from Pasta & Co. Encore cookbook. I really like that there are a bunch of healthy choices in this cookbook that still sound tasty. The only downside so far is that I can't find the recipe online, so I need to type the whole thing out. Ugh. I hate typing full recipes...cutting and pasting is much, much easier. I did adapt the recipe to suit my needs, but it is pretty much the same...just rewritten a little. Oh well, I will let you know how it turns out.

White Bean, Carrot, and Roasted Garlic Soup

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of dried white beans
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
2 to 4 teaspoons of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cloves pressed or minced garlic
2 1/4 cups of peeled, chopped carrots
2 average-sized heads of roasted garlic
3 cups of vegetable stock or chicken stock (use more if needed)
1/2 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of Tabasco sauce
water to cover carrots

Directions:
Soak and cook beans with rosemary according to package directions. Add salt when beans are almost tender (toward end of cooking; NOT during the beginning). Continue cooking until very tender. Drain beans and reserve. Roast garlic and set aside (See Jen's Notes).

Place olive oil and onions in a separate pot, over medium-low heat. Cover to sweat and become golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add 2 cloves of pressed/minced garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes (do not burn). Add carrots and just enough water to cover. Cover with lid and boil just until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. While carrots are cooking squeeze roasted garlic out and reserve separately.

Take the carrot mixture and their cooking liquid, half of the cooked beans, and the roasted garlic meat, and place in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Puree Until smooth. Return to the pot.
ALTERNATE METHOD: Add half the beans and garlic meat to the the carrot pot and puree smooth by using an immersion blender.

Stir in stock,other half of beans, salt and pepper to taste, and Tabasco to taste. If the soup is too thick, add additional stock or water and adjust seasoning if needed.

Jen's Notes:
To roast garlic:
1) Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2) Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic.
3) Place the garlic heads in a baking pan; muffin pans work well for this purpose. Drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil over each head, using your fingers to make sure the garlic head is well coated. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed.
4) Allow the garlic to cool enough so you can touch it without burning yourself. Use a small small knife cut the skin slightly around each clove. Use a cocktail fork or your fingers to pull or squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins.



The Result:
This was good...but it was missing something. I think acid, because it was almost too creamy in flavor. The texture of the soup itself was satisfying (i.e. not overly creamy), but the flavor was very one-note. I am not even sure how to accurately describe it. The flavor kinda coated the tongue with creaminess??? It just needs to be more savory. I guess that is a good analogy. I garnished it with Parmesan, but that really did not help much either. Then, I added a little champagne vinegar to see if that would do the trick. It helped some, but it wasn't exactly what was needed. Overall, this is a good, filling soup...I just need to play around with the flavors. Maybe cayenne pepper, instead of Tabasco and some white wine right before the carrots are added. I am not sure. I have some leftover, so I will play around with it tomorrow for lunch. If it does not improve tomorrow, I don't think I will make this soup again.

Steak, Cheesy Potatoes, Glazed Carrots

I am not doing anything super-exciting for dinner tonight. I am still trying to get the house back in order after our trip. I really don't have many meal choices since the whole freezer debacle happened, and I have not had the chance to go to the store. I was able to save two steaks, and I have all the ingredients for Jen's Top Secret Cheesy Potatoes and glazed carrots. I think we will just slather some BBQ sauce on the steaks and grill them. Tonight will be a pretty easy (and yummy) dinner.

Claire's Pot Roast: A Variation

I have been dying for a Pot Roast lately. My friend Claire did a super-easy one a week or so ago, and ever since then I have been craving a Pot Roast. The best part is that Pot Roast comes out great in the slow cooker. I used to cook it in the oven all the time , but then I realized it is much easier in the slow cooker. Why heat up your house by using the oven unnecessarily???? See, you cannot argue with that logic!
When I made my Tater Tot Casserole last time, I opened a huge can of Cream of Mushroom soup and only used about half of it. I saved the other half in a plastic container and I have been waiting for the right recipe to use it in. Claire's Pot Roast will be the perfect vehicle for my saved soup. The bonus is that I found Pot Roast for a song this week at the grocery store! Score! I love cheap meat.

So, like with any other recipe...I cannot stick with the original. I have some other items that I am going to throw into the mix. It will be the basic principle, but I will jut add some things that I need to use up. I will amend Claire's recipe to include my variation. It will be a cross between my traditional pot roast, and Claire's take on it with the soup. I typically just put mine in the crock pot with veggies,spices, and either stock or water, to let it cook. This time I am following Claire's lead. After all, she said that this version was the best roast she has ever made! I am hoping for a similar effect.

Claire's Pot Roast

Ingredients:
2-3 lb. chuck roast (I think that's the cut I was using)
3-4 potatoes, peeled and in chunks
4-5 carrots, peeled and in chunks
1 envelope onion soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Jen's Variation:
Add the following ingredients to the above recipe-
1 onion, diced into chunks
3 ribs of celery, cut into chunks
2 cloves of garlic, diced into pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 Tablespoons of water

Directions:
Place cut potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, and garlic in the bottom of slow cooker. Pour small amount of water over veggies. Sprinkle top of veggies with salt and pepper. Place roast on top. Sprinkle onion soup over roast and vegetables. Pour can of soup over roast and vegetables. Cook on low 7-8 hours.



The Result:
This was the best Pot Roast I have ever made. I have never tried the whole 'put soup in it' thing, but let me tell you...it was awesome. Everything combined in the slow cooker and made it's own sumptuous gravy. Yum, Yum, Yum! I am very satisfied. I think I will go lay on the couch now, with my pants unbuttoned...

Cheeseburgers, Glazed Carrots, and Baked Potatoes

Tonight is another easy grill night. The husband and I had a busy day today, so we wanted a no-brainer for dinner. Our minister is moving out of state, so Greg went and helped him move while I went shopping with my Mother In Law and my son. The boy and I got home just in time for his nap. He was really over-stimulated today, and surprisingly, he took a pretty good nap. Whew! Once his nap time was over, the whole family went grocery shopping (which, I swear I am at the grocery store at least three times a week or more). We got home a little late, and it was past our normal dinner start time when we finished putting away all the groceries. Needless to say, we pretty much rushed through the dinner prep and tried to make it as simple as possible. I will not post a result, since I am pretty sure everyone knows how cheeseburgers, baked potato,and carrots taste. However, I did take a photo just for fun. I am really liking the whole addition of photographs on my blog. So, here is a little eye candy for you...enjoy!

Hamburgers, Potatoes, and Glazed Carrots

Tonight is a no-frills dinner. I wanted something quick, since I knew I would be out most of the morning with Connor's last swim class and a Moms Club event. Also, it is ridiculously hot outside today. I have decided that it is too hot to fuss over dinner. This is a standard fall-back recipe,which I make quite often...just varying the protein element. It is literally just hamburgers on the grill, Yukon gold potatoes microwaved until soft (poke holes in the potatoes first), and carrots that are peeled, sliced, and steamed. We use standard baked potato fixings such as butter, salt, pepper, shredded cheese, and sour cream for the spuds.
The only semi-interesting thing I do with this meal is make a simple glaze for the carrots. After the carrots steam until fork-tender, I put them in a bowl with a couple tablespoons of butter, a pinch of kosher salt and another pinch of plain white sugar. That is it. I think we will grill the burgers outside, so as not to heat up the kitchen with the indoor grill pan. Also, I will serve the burgers with the standard mustard, ketchup, and mayo on whole wheat buns. I think we are out of sliced cheese...so just plain, old hamburgers for us tonight.